Eyes the Color of An Angry Sea
by merurikku
Summary: A story about Katrina Raven Barbossa, the fiery niece of Barbossa who hates herself for falling in love with Captain Jack Sparrow....at first. I've updated! Chapter Two is finally up!
1. Prologue

well hello kiddies!! it's been awhile since i've decided to post anything...i haven't really come up with anything **worth** posting...until NOW that is!! this, dear ones, is my pirate story. rejoice!! i've actually had the ideas in my head pretty much right after i saw the movie, and up until two days ago i was too stupid to realize i could actually make it into a fanfic. so, here ya go. basically the story is about my occ katrina who falls in love with jack sparrow and....yeah. oh! she's also the niece of barbossa...just so ya know. okay, i think i'll let you read the story now. i know you want to. ^_~  
  
disclaimer crap: i don't own pirates *blah blah blah* i really want to, though. oh well. sucks for me. but alas, i must say i do own my occ. take her and i'll be, well, _forced_ to hunt you down. have a nice day ^^  


Prologue

  
  
    The darkness was tinted with an orange glow as the fire rages on. The people had scattered; disallusioned and fear-ridden they had become, shouting orders, threats, and obsenities back and forth to one another, trying to find a way to end the conflagration they had helped to begin. In the midst of it all was Christian Barbossa, haunching over his wife and young daughter to protect them from the heat of the flame.  
  
    There was a loud crack as the balcony from the burning tavern collapsed from the main structure. Christian's wife, Natalie, yelped out in fear as the balcony smashed against the ground, sending a tremor through the ash covered earth. He placed a hand on Natalie's shaking shoulder and said in a voice barely audible over the chaos that surrounded them, "C'mon, we have to move now. That blaze is moving too fast."  
  
    And he was telling the truth. Already had the fire consumed four of the buildings in the surrounding area, and showed no sign of stopping any time soon. Natalie nodded and clasped their daughter, who seemed undaunted by the whole situation, close to her breast. Christian helped his wife to her feet before observing the area around their position. He realized with sinking hope that they were boxed in my a myriad of obstacles. To their right was the fire, to their left a meaningless but dangerous brawl that had broken out among some men, to the back the fire had begun to eat its way along the homes and other various establishments, and to the front there lay a straight line of oncoming Royal Navy officers, the last people who Christian wanted to see. Unfortunately, the only logical way to go, was to the front, Christian steeled his will for it.  
  
    Pressing his hands down on his wife's shoulders, he guided her forward, making sure to steer clear of the bullets and collapsing wood. Luckily, it wasn't that hard for them to pass the guards unoticed, for they were too busy dealing with the bigger problem at hand. Walking as quickly as they could, Christian guided them down the stony path that led away from the chaos of the fire, but led straight into the chaos that was the rest of the town.  
  
    More men of the Royal Navy were lining the street in packs, one half racing to the blaze while the remaining tended to the numerous uprisings that had begun. Christian cursed to himself when he saw more of the guards, and frantically searched the area for a place they could hide temporarily.  
  
    "Christian, over there."  
  
    He followed Natalie's pointed finger to a large cart carrying quite a few barrels of wine. He nodded in resolution and they sped towards it, finding quite a nice resting place behind it. Letting go of Natalie's shoulders, he watched as she took a seat on a large stone, holding their daughter firmly in her lap. He turned from them and took a precarious look around the side of the cart, making sure there was nothing happening or anyone coming that may intend to do them harm. Thankfully at that moment, there was none.  
  
    Sighing with temporary relief, he turned back to kneel beside his wife. "Are you alright?"  
  
    "Stop worryin' about me and take your daughter," she said in an unusually strained voice as she lifted the little girl up towards her father.  
  
    Christian took her delicately from her mother's arms, smoothing her hair as he did so. "Is Katrina okay?"  
  
    Natalie gazed at him with the big green eyes he loved so much. "Considering what's happened, Christian, do you think she's okay?"  
  
    At that moment, Katrina rotated her head to get a better view of her mother. "That isn't true, Mummy. I'm not scared."  
  
    "That's my brave girl," Christian whispered to her softly, kissing the top of her forehead and setting her down in front of him. Now with grave countenance, he looked deeply into the grey eyes she had inherited from him, and brushed a black of hair away from her dirt covered face. Unlike most children, who would have without doubt been terrified, Katrina remained as calm and as poised as if this was just another day for a walk. There was not a trace of fear or confusion anywhere to be found on her. Christian sighed again before cupping his hands around her cheeks.  
  
    "Now listen to me, Trina," he told her softly. "Everything's gonna be just fine, alright? Mummy and Daddy are going to take you to Uncle Barbossa's house." He paused. "Do you remember your Uncle Barbossa?"  
  
    A pout set in on her face, and the six-year-old "mmm-hmmed" in response. Despite himself, Christian could feel tears beginning to sting the back of his eyes.  
  
    "Good lass," he said, patting the top of her matted black mess of hair. "Your uncle's a good man. He'll take care of you."  
  
    Katrina's small brows furrowed. "But you won't leave me there for as long as ya did last time, right? I don't like the inn very much; it smells funny and scary men get drunk and start saying things."  
  
    Not daring to make eye contact with Natalie, Christian simply smiled. "Course I won't. Wouldn't want those scary men to start saying things I wouldn't want my little girl to hear." She smiled back at him, a simple yet mischievious smile, and Christian felt his heart take on a dangerous weight. He hated lying to her, but how could he possibly let her know that he and Natalie _wouldn't_ be coming back for her this time?  
  
    "Right then," he exclaimed as cheerfully as he dared. "Go and rouse your mother, Trina. Then we'll be on our way." He pushed her along lightly just to get her started and climbed to his feet. He watched for a moment as she prodded her mother's shoulder and said "Daddy says it's time to go, Mummy. You have to get up now." And even though Natalie responded positively to her daughter, Christian could tell she was trying to rid herself of all emotion. She was preparing herself, Christian knew, for the ultimate parting, and he also knew that soon he would need to do the same.  
  
    He peeked around the cart again for any signs of changes in activity. Four soldiers marched by at a quickening pace, forcing Christian to pull his head back slightly to deminish the chance of them noticing him. He then signaled to Natalie, who within seconds was by his side with Katrina once again in her arms.  
  
    At the right moment, they left their position behind the cart and hurried down the cobbled street to their right. Recognizing where they were, Christian led them far to the east of the fire, along the dark coastline. They walked at a continued pace in complete silence for no longer than ten minutes until the sound of pattering feet and low voices made the hair on the back of Christian's neck stand on end. Though their destination was close, he wondered whether they should take more time to hide again, just to be safe. It was possible that the Navy was close on their heels, and he couldn't risk being caught. Not with Katrina there.  
  
    He suddenly felt a hand connect with and squeeze his own. Looking to the side, he saw Natalie staring at him with those beautiful green eyes. She had put Katrina down, and was now clasping her hand as well. She leaned close to his face to whisper words that were hopefully inaudible to their daughter.  
  
    "We're almost there. I can see your brother's inn from here." She gestured to a cozy looking establishment just below the hill they were currently standing on. "Let's not waste more time. I reckon the King's men'll be out for us now." She sqeezed his hand tighter. "Our daughter must be safe."  
  
    Filled with new resolve, Christian agreed. Yes. . .Katrina must be saved at all costs. Perhaps his brother truely would be able to give her the life Christian himself could never offer.  
  
    The family pressed on now with greater speed. The inn became larger and clearer, and it wasn't long before they were standing right in front of its door. Christian knelt down to Katrina, who had let go of her mother's hand. He reached inside his jacket and pulled from within a tattered piece of folded paper. With solemn an expression, he handed it to Katrina.  
  
    "What's this for, Dad?" she questioned, her young and curious eyes observing the paper suspiciously.  
  
    "That's for your uncle," Christian told her. "You have to promise me that you'll give it to him as soon as you see him, alright?"  
  
    "'Kay," the girl answered simply. Christian grinned and kissed her lightly on the forehead. He then retreated back to allow Natalie to say final farewell.  
  
    "My little baby girl. . . ." Natalie's voice was cracked with sorrow and tears had begun to flow.  
  
    "Don't worry, Mummy. I promise I'll be good for Uncle Barbossa," Katrina soothed her ignorantly. To her, it was just another trip to Uncle's house. Never had it occurred to her that this particular trip would be a permanent one.  
  
    Natalie forced a small laugh and stroked her daughter's hair. "You'll have to be, won't you?" she joked. "I daresay your uncle won't have you jumpin' around in mud puddles, now will he?"  
  
    Katrina gave her mother the childish frown that was so common with her. "I swears I don't do it anymore, Mum! I really don't!"  
  
    Natalie laughed again. "I know, lass. I know. . . ." The laugh quickly turned into a sob, and more tears threatened to surface. Natalie forced herself away before Katrina could see them and went straight into the arms of her husband.  
  
    As Christian held his grief-stricken wife, he spoke to his daughter for the last time. "Now, when you go in there, you ask for Barbossa and no one else. And don't you be taking no for an answer." He paused as he watched her take in the information. "And remember what I've told you before: You can always take what you can, Trina, but you'll never get enough to give anything back."  
  
    Katrina acknowledged her father's words, and before stepping up to the door, waved frantically at her parents who were receding into the shadows. They watched her knock on the door with a tiny fist. It immediately swung open to reveal a man of massive physique, who looked monstrous even to Christian, let alone the six year old child standing before him.  
  
    "I'm here to see Barbossa," she remarked in a tone quite uncommon with children under ten.  
  
    The man looked down at her and sneered. "And what business would a little twirp such as yourself have with Barbossa?"  
  
    "My business in none of yours. And if you try and get in my way, I'll have your guts for garters."  
  
    Christian felt his heart swell as he watched the man at the door hesitate. To think that one with such a large size could be intimidated by such a little girl was comical, and Christian was proud to think that it was his own flesh and blood doing the intimidating, no matter what the size.  
  
    "Aye, let the brat in, Murdock."  
  
    Murdock glanced behind him, apparently at the owner of the voice, before stepping aside to allow Katrina in. Then he shut the door, and Katrina was lost to them forever.  
  
    _Take care of her, brother,_ Christian thought to himself. _I'll never forgive you if you don't._  
  
    "Christian!"  
  
    Natalie's cry shook him to his senses, and from there it took him no time at all to realize that they were completely surrounded by at least ten officiers of the Royal Navy, all with their rifles aimed and ready to fire.  
  
    "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" A haughty looking man adorned with the mark of a luitenant stepped out amongst the bodies and raised guns. "If it isn't Barbossa and company. My the things you two have put us through."  
  
    Even in those last fleeting moments, Christian felt a small twinge of hope. The luitenant had only said two. That meant he didn't know. . . . Trina was safe. . . .  
  
    Before he had realized what was happening, Natalie had left his side and was charging full speed at the luitenant. Christian's heart lept into his throat as he watched the man unsheath his sword and aimed it straight ahead. . . .  
  
    "Natalie! NO!"  
  
    But the warning had come too late. By the time he had screamed the words, Natalie's frail body had been completely impaled. Her blood dripped from the wound and onto the ground, staining it a dark crimson. Christian's mind became instantly blurred with rage. He barely saw the luitenant twist his wife off the blade, the blade that was now saturated with her blood. He never felt his feet leave the ground as he rushed forward to attack, and he never heard at all the word that would end his life:  
  
    "FIRE!"  
  
    Bullets from all directions dived into Christian's body, penetrating his flesh and eating through his vital organs. As he fell to his knees, he saw through blood-shot eyes the figure of the man who had murdered his wife, and who was now about to murder him. Christian's chest heaved with pain as the luitenant held a pistol between his eyes. He could hardly make out the sinister smirk that had spread across the man's face.  
  
    "How fitting an end for you. Pirate."  
  
    A final shot was fired, and Christian Barbossa was dead before he could see the beautiful green eyes he had loved so much fade into oblivion.  
  


~*~

  
  
    Barbossa had heard the gun shots, but chose to ignore them. "Just another villain gettin' what he deserves," he told his customers, who had been troubled by the sound and were now settling down again. His niece, however, still looked at him with a skeptical eye.  
  
    "A villain? Like the ones in those fairy tales who breath fire and all that?"  
  
    "Aye, them be the ones," Barbossa answered her, expecting it to put an end to the topic. He had apparently forgotton about Katrina's inquisitive nature.  
  
    "My nanny told me people like that don't exist. So you must be lying, mustn't you?"  
  
    Barbossa spun around to look down upon her small and skinny frame. She was a pretty little girl, to be sure, though at the moment it looked as if she hadn't eaten in days, and the harsh blackness of her hair wildly contrasted with her pale complexion. Her most distinguishing feature, however, was the cold, menacing grey of her eyes, a grey which she had received from her father. A grey which Barbossa knew all too well.  
  
    So tell me, child," he said after a moment. "How old ye be now? Four? Five?"  
  
    Her beady eyes narrowed. "I'm six and a half."  
  
    He grinned. "Ah, so you're a big girl, are ye?" He paused to allow himself to kneel down to her level. "And eh, do ye believe everthing this nanny of yours tells ye, hmm?"  
  
    Though her uncle was now intimidatingly close to her, Katrina firmly held her ground. "I'm not stupid, Uncle Barbossa. You're not 'sposed to believe everything you hear."  
  
    "Aye! A smart lass if ever I saw one! Murdock!"  
  
    The large man named Murdock who had opened the door to Katrina came bumbling round the corner from the kitchen. "Yessir?"  
  
    "Bring a drink and some food for our little miss here."  
  
    "Yessir," Murdock repeated, and continued to round back to the kitchen.  
  
    Barbossa swung up to his feet and snatched a stool from a nearby vacant table. He placed it in front of Katrina and bade her to sit, which she did without question. He grabbed another stool for himself and took a seat. By that time, Murdock had returned carrying a tray which had a small cup of water and a plate with a serving of bread and a few slices of ham on top of it. He handed them to Katrina, who turned out to be hungrier than Barbossa had thought. Within seconds the plate was clean and the water was gulped down to the very last drop. He signaled to Murdock to bring her another helping, and watched the giant bustle off again. As they sat waiting for Murdock to return, Katrina began to swing her legs back and forth from the stool. Barbossa took to observing her closely.  
  
    "Ye alright there, lass?"  
  
    "I'm fine," was the answer. "And stop callin' me 'lass'. My name's Trina. _Ka_trina to you."  
  
    "Yes, I know that. And me apologies, Miss Katrina, I meant no harm."  
  
    "Why do you talk so funny?"  
  
    "How do ye mean?"  
  
    "I mean like that. Dad didn't talk like that."  
  
    Murdock returned then with Katrina's seconds, which she took from him contentedly. Eating more slowly this time, she went on with her mini interrogation.  
  
    "So what was in that paper anyway?"  
  
    Barbossa raised an eyebrow and played dumb. "What paper?"  
  
    "The paper I gave to you. The one from Dad."  
  
    He felt a sudden queasyness fill the pit of his stomach. How was he supposed to tell her that contained within that paper was the confessions of her father, saying in his own words how he and Natalie would die that night, and probably already were? No, there was no way. She was far too young to hear such a thing. Far, far too young.  
  
    "Oh nothing that should concern ye, Miss," he lied. "Just detailed instructions on how to care for ye."  
  
    "I see," Katrina acknowledged, munching on a piece of bread. "There wasn't anything in there about mud puddles, was there?"  
  
    His brows furrowed in pretend thought. "No. . .no I don't recall nothing about no mud."  
  
    A wave of relief seemed to sweep over Katrina's pale face. "Well, that's good then. . . ." Her mouth opened wide in a yawn, and her small eyelids began to droop. Barbossa took these as signs that it was high time for bed.  
  
    "Alright, c'mon Miss. Time for you to get some sleep now."  
  
    Gently he bent down and lifted her into his arms. He was taken slightly aback at how weightless she was. _Damn Christian,_ he thought sadly. _Did ye not feed the child?_  
  
    The walk to the upstairs rooms was a slow one, for Katrina was falling asleep rather quickly on Barbossa's shoulder, and he didn't want to disturb her too much. Luckily there were several vacances that night, and Barbossa was able to put her in the room closest to his. He layed her down softly on the mattress, the bed barely creaking under her weight. By the time Barbossa had tucked her tightly in with the blankets, Katrina was dead asleep.  
  
    He stooped to kiss her forehead before blowing out the candle just above the bed. He then went to exit the room, but stopped and watched her sleep for a moment before he left completely. As he watched her, an overwhelming pity for the child consumed him. She had just lost both parents in a single night. Without her knowledge, or her consent, the world she had once known was turned upside down, with no possible hope of bringing it right side up again. Barbossa's only wish was to give that girl the life his brother wanted to give her, but was denied the chance to.  


* * *

  
A/N: oh boy that was unnecessarily long! oh well, sucks for me. and hey, if you've gotten down here, then congrats! you have successfully finished the prologue!! er, mind the typos just in case there are any. i'm tired and i think i'm getting sick so i really don't have the patience to go over it at the moment. i'm currently writing the first chapter, and if ya'll like it, i'll post it! actually, i'll probably post it anyway, but i would prefer to post it with the backing of my readers (and reviewers!!!). so until next time folks...bai bai!!  
    -Meru  
  



	2. Chapter One

yay! it's chapter one!! i know you must be tingling with excitement....*knows it sounded wrong, doesn't care* i hope you guys liked the prologue...if ya didn't it'd be kinda pointless for me to put this up. but oh well. there has to be at least one person out there who likes it, right? right. oh, and as the story progresses, i'm hoping i don't make it too like, ya know. just another whatever love story between some character we're all obsessed with and another of my own making. because i've been seeing a lot of that....*will not name any names* so yeah, i'll stop talking now and let you get on with it, okay? okay!  
  
disclaimer: we already know i don't own pirates. and if you're the one loser out there who didn't, sucks for you. but i do own katrina. i know you all want her but there's nothing i can do.  


Chapter One

  
  
    Katrina's curiousity only grew with the year that passed. With the hustle and bustle of the inn, no one really payed attention to her small figure darting in and out of corners, sticking her nose in places where she shouldn't. But doing this did prove to be quite helpful, for the more Katrina hid in the corners she loved so much, the more she learned exactly what it meant to be a pirate.  
  
    "Ol' Robinson gave up his pair o' boots today," she overheard one man say to another. "Damn shame that is."  
  
    "Aye," the other man agreed. "He be a bloody good pirate, if I ever saw one, that Robinson."  
  
    Katrina squirmed in her corner under a table. So this Robinson man was a. . .a pirate? She knew she had heard the word before, and recalled a night when four strangers, three men and a woman, had come calling for her father. They had sat up for hours talking, and in turn Katrina had sat dutifully outside the door listening to every word they had said, ignoring the fact that she was supposed to be asleep.  
  
    "They're bringin' down pirates from here to Tortuga," the woman had said, her voice filled with venom. Katrina had not been sure who "they" were, and even now still didn't know, but that hadn't stopped her from listening intently.  
  
    "Sooner or later, they'll find you here too. Along with the misses and the little 'un."  
  
    Katrina had assumed the woman had been talking to her father then, after hearing what seemed to be the reference to her mother and herself. But then, did that mean her father was a pirate too?  
  
    "What about this brother of yours, Christian?" a man's voice had suddenly intervened.  
  
    "Who? Barbossa?"  
  
    Upon hearing her last name, Katrina was snapped back into reality, where instead of sitting outside her father's study, she was haunched in a dark corner under a table in her uncle's inn. She craned her neck in hopes of getting a better view of the two men who had seemed to change the subject to that of her uncle.  
  
    "Aye, he runs a nice little place here, he does," said the man with a long, straggly beard and thick, heavy set brows. The other man wore an eye patch over his right eye, which was positioned in such a way that Katrina could just make out the white outline of the scar underneath. He leaned in closer to Straggles so that Katrina was forced to inch forward as well.  
  
    "I also hear," Eye-Patch said with a hint of excitement in his voice, "that he also runs a nice smuggling ring, right here at the inn. He's got his own ship and everything, that sails from here to Tortuga with a load of looted goods!  
  
    Katrina's grey eyes sparkled. That was the second time now she had heard of this Tortuga place. For some reason, she felt a strange longing to go there. Besides, it did sound a lot better than Port Royal. Nothing ever happened here worth remembering.  
  
    "D'ya think we could get a share in some o' them profits?" Straggles seemed to wonder aloud.  
  
    "I sure hope so," Eye-Patch confessed. "I'm aimin' to get meself a fake eye, ya know? In place o' this ol' patch here."  
  
    Straggles nodded in approval. "Aye, that'd be good for ye. But how do we go about gettin' on the right side of a pirate such as the likes of Barbossa?"  
  
    "By not speakin' of him in places he shouldn't be spoken of."  
  
    Even Katrina, who was not one to scare easily, jumped at the sound of her uncle's voice.  
  
    "Now, if you gentlemen'd be so kind as to step into the back with Murdock here. . ." He gestured to the insanely large man to his left, which upon looking at, Katrina saw both Straggles and Eye-Patch gulp down a lump of fear. ". . .I'll be happy to discuss your, 'share' with you."  
  
    Barbossa gave them a deadly grin as they laughed nervously and stood to follow Murdock into, Katrina knew, the secret room behind the kitchen where Barbossa prohibited her from going. And, if truth be told, Katrina had never really any desire to go there. Until now.  
  
    She watched them disappear behind the kitchen door, and when they had gone, figured that it was high-time for her to disappear as well. Putting in an effort to make no sound at all (even though from the noise in the inn she probably couldn't be heard anyway), she waited until her uncle had picked up a wine bottle from one of the tables and started cleaning it roughly with a rag. Him being occuppied allowed her the chance to slowly creep out from under the table to make her getaway.  
  
    She didn't get a chance, however, to get very far.  
  
    "Katrina?"  
  
    Freezing in midway crawl, Katrina realized that Barbossa had known she was there all along.  
  
    "A quick word, if you don't mind."  
  
    He set the wine bottle back on the table, and Katrina quickly scrambled to her feet before he could turn around. When he did, they stood for a moment and seemed to critique each other, like adversaries before a battle. To Katrina, he was an adversary, always being the one to get in the way of what she wanted most: knowledge.  
  
    "Right, follow me, Missy."  
  
    Katrina allowed him to walk in front of her, and then fell into step behind him. In an effort to take her mind off the lecture she was about to receive, she counted how many steps it took for them to reach their destination. She had gotten to to forty-six when Barbossa suddenly stopped ahead of her, a sign they had reached the door to his upstairs room. Her eyes lifted from the ground to look at him as he opened the door and held out his hand, bidding her to go inside. Katrina followed his silent order, and once inside the room took a seat on the creaking bed. Barbossa then stepped in himself and shut the door with a click behind him.  
  
    "So just how long were ye under that table?"  
  
    Barbossa continued to pour himself a drink, while Katrina remained silent. He decided to answer for her.  
  
    "Long enough to hear everythin' they said, no doubt."  
  
    Normally she wouldn't have done it, but at this point Katrina thought it best to say exactly what was on her mind.  
  
    "You're a pirate."  
  
    Her uncle seemed to freeze in place, making Katrina wonder if she had said the right thing after all. "Is that so?" he questioned, his voice raised ever so slightly.  
  
    "Yes. And Dad was a pirate too, wasn't he?"  
  
    When he said nothing, Katrina cocked her head to one side. "Uncle? Uncle is it true?"  
  
    He let out a long sigh. "Yes, yes it's bloody true." Katrina's face brightened at the thought. To think that both her uncle and her father were pirates! But if Barbossa had told her, then why. . . .  
  
    "Why did Dad never tell me he was a pirate?"  
  
    Barbossa rolled his eyes. "One, because ye were too much of a child, and two. . . ." His voice trailed off at this, and his face took on the look of someone wondering what to say next. "And two, for the same reason I wanted to tell ye naught at first."  
  
    "And why's that?"  
  
    "Because ye have a big mouth, girl! That's why!"  
  
    Katrina raised her fingers to the corners of her mouth, prodding them gently. "My mouth isn't --"  
  
    "It's a figure of speech! Means ye talk too much about the things we adult folk would prefer ye didn't."  
  
    "Oh. Like pirates?"  
  
    "Aye, like pirates."  
  
    She bowed her head in thought. So, pirates were never spoken of, and the fact that her uncle was one was kept neatly in the shadows where it collected dust. A devious idea crept into Katrina's mind then, and she had to try very hard to keep herself from smiling.  
  
    "I'm sorry, Uncle," she cooed. "It was wrong of me to eavesdrop."  
  
    "Well, I'm glad ye realize your mistakes," Barbossa said, believing her, Katrina hoped, completely. "A sign o' good character that."  
  
    "And I do promise not to tell anyone," she continued, "since you said that talkin' about pirates was bad and all."  
  
    Barbossa raised his chin. "And do I have your word on that?"  
  
    Katrina lowered her eyes to her hand which sat restlessly in her lap. "Well, yes. . .if you take me to Tortuga with you, that is."  
  
    She looked up to see Barbossa open his mouth to reply, and then close it again, finally being hit with the realization of what she had said. What Katrina had expected, was for him to go furious with her, while she would sit calmly and tell him that it he didn't take her, she would kindly announce anyone who was willing to listen that he was a pirate. Instead, what she got was the complete opposite. Barbossa started to laugh.  
  
    It began softly enough, but as the seconds passed the laugh grew heartier and louder. Katrina balled her fists in annoyance.  
  
    "Uncle! Stop laughing, I'm serious!"  
  
    "Oh, I'm sure ye are, Missy!" he chuckled. "But as ye should be well aware, that is completely out of the question!"  
  
    "But I'll tell!" Katrina cried desperately. "I'll tell everyone!"  
  
    "I have no doubt ye will, lass. But to what profit would that be to you?" He took a step towards her and bent forward slightly. "Say ye did tell, hmm? And I'd be taken away to the gallows to get the punishment I best deserved. But wait!" He raised a jeweled hand to his mouth in fake surprise. "What about little Katrina? The poor orphaned child thrown to the streets with naught but the clothes on her back!"  
  
    Katrina's frustration turned quickly into confusion. "But I'm not an orphan. . . . Mum and Dad can still come back for me if you get caught. . .can't they?"  
  
    Her uncle's face took on a sudden sadness. "I'm afraid, Katrina, that this time they left ye here for good."  
  
    A heavyness set in her heart when she realized Barbossa's words were probably true. Already a year had gone by, with no sign at all of her parents. Katrina remembered her father telling her that he wouldn't leave her as long at the inn as he did last time. She figured now that it had probably been just talk.  
  
    "A right shame to be certain," Barbossa continued suddenly, "ye havin' to be left here and all. Haven't quite got used to the face meself yet. Never was too good with kids. . . ." He unbuckled the belt that held the holster* for his pistol, and the pistol therein. Katrina eyed it carefully as he placed it on the bedside table, then leaned down to open and dig through a rather large wooden chest.  
  
    "Now where did I put that blasted thing. . .? Ah!"  
  
    He sprung up to produce from the trunk the most, in Katrina's opinion, hideous hat in existence. It was definitely bigger than necessary, and had three black feathers of almost equal length protruding from out the side. She watched with mild disgust as Barbossa placed the hat atop his head, and admired himself in the mirror."  
  
    "Hmm, not bad. Now, if ye'll excuse me," he said, glancing sideways at Katrina and heading towards the door. "I have gentlemen downstairs wonderin' what's become of me."  
  
    Katrina jumped quickly to her feet. "Take me to Tortuga! Teach me how to be a pirate!!"  
  
    He sighed and swung around to face her. "No, no and bloody no! How many times do I have to tell ye before it settles in that thick, childish skull o' yours?"  
  
    Mumbling something about her being too young, he reached for the handle of the door. But Katrina would have none of it. She would show him how ready she was to be a pirate, regardless if she was seven or not. Her eyes instantly locked onto the pistol on the table, and she ran to grab it. It was heavier than she thought it would be, and it took both of her small hands to hold it up in the air. With her right thumb, she cocked the pistol, just as she had seen her father do so many times. She squinted her eyes and aimed for her target: the top of her uncle's head. However, Barbossa had apprently heard the click, for he began to turn around. . .just as Katrina squeezed the trigger.  
  
    She was nearly thrown off her feet by the sheer force of the bullet being catapulted from the pistol, a force she most certainly had not been expecting. A thin white wisp of smoke eminated from the barrel, and the sound of the shot still rung clearly in her ears. Past the barrel, Katrina could see her uncle standing completely rigid and with a brand new hold in his over-sized hat.  
  
    Barbossa let out a short gasp of a laugh and took the hat from off his head, sticking his finger through the hole. He gasp-laughed again and looked up at his niece.  
  
    "Can I ask ye why ye shot a hole in me hat?"  
  
    "It was ugly and I didn't like it," she answered him simply, the gun now hanging at her side. "Besides, it looked funny on you anyways."  
  
    "Well, ye certainly do have a fire in ye, for such a wee lass," was Barbossa's reply. "I've had a change of thought," he told her, a mischievious twinkle growing in his eyes that made Katrina wonder. "I've decided to show ye the ropes o' bein' a true scallywag."  
  
    Her face instantly brightened, but Barbossa held up his hand as if in warning. "Don't get too excited now! The road won't be an easy one," he paused, "for either of us, I reckon. Now, ye can make this real easy by followin' my every word, or ye can make it hard by, pullin' a stunt such as ye did now. What say ye?"  
  
    Katrina grinned at her Uncle broadly. "Yes sir!"  
  
    "No child! When I ask, 'What say ye?', you say to me either 'aye' or 'nay'. So, what say ye?"  
  
    ". . .Aye!"  
  
    "Good! Now, first rule o' the evening: stay here, and don't be causin' no trouble. Understand?"  
  
    Although her childish instinct was immediately against the taking of any orders, Katrina's desire to be a pirate was the instant victor, and she bowed her head in submission. "Aye, sir."  
  
    "Right then. Until I return!" Barbossa was about to swing the hat back onto his head, but before he could remembered it's current condition and instead tossed it to the floor with a wave of his hand, and then was gone.  
  
    Giddy with the events, Katrina didn't even mind the soft click of the door being locked. Noticing that she still had the pistol in her hand, she gingerly placed it back on the table. She then flopped down on her uncle's bed, her deed grey eyes staring into the ceiling. Perhaps it was better that her parents weren't coming back to get her after all. She knew her mother wouldn't be happy, and even though Barbossa had said her father was a pirate, she was pretty sure he wouldn't be too thrilled to discover his daughter was about to become one herself.  
  


* * *

  
  
*about the holster...i'm not sure, but i think they called the thingies that held the guns and stuff frogs...can someone tell me if i'm not just making this up out of the insaneness of my mind?? thank you!  
  
A/N: whew, another finish to another chapter. much thanx to ivy3 who was my first reviewer! your review made me happy ^^. i am sorry to say, however, that there won't be any jack for some time yet, actually not for another two chapters at least....but don't worry! he _will_ be in here. i just hope the wait is worth it....  
    -Meru
  
  



	3. Just a little note for ya'll

hey there kids! meru here....i'm just writing a little note about my story. i'm gonna take it down as soon as i get more chapters up, but until then this is what you're getting. first off, i'm really glad you like my story!! it makes me feel all warm inside and special-like. ^^ and i'm really REALLY glad you like my story because maybe that means you'll be able to wait a bit...or perhaps it would be the other way around.....anyway, i just wanted to say that my life is really hectic at the mo, and unfortunately that leaves me with **very little** time to write **anything**. it sucks. believe me, i know it sucks. but i'm afraid you're just gonna have to bear with me. i wanna write....i really REALLY wanna write...but current situations are forcing me to postpone it. sooooo, on a happier note (well, not really, but let's pretend), i'm only gonna post more AFTER i finish the second AND third chapters. okay well, i'm saying now that that's a LOT easier said than done, but i'm gonna try. jesus christ the third chappy's gonna be a doozy...i hope you folks are in for a **very long read**. when you get there that is.....*is sad* oh well. i hope you guys have a lot of patience! if you don't, well, i'm very sorry, but there's nothing i can do. until the next update...  
    -Meru  
  
    ps: did anyone else noticed that rhymed? okay fine it was just me then....  



	4. Chapter Two

well, it's finally here! thanks soooooo much to all you who supported me out there! it was so unbelievably cool i don't even know how to tell you ^_^ in this chapter, katrina is introduced to a brand new character (you'll know who it is once you read it) and i'd just like to mention that she is NOT of my creation. she is owned by lauren cassidy and therefore she has all the copyrights. okay, i think that's about it now ^_^  
  
disclaimer: we already know i don't own pirates. and if you're the one loser out there who didn't, sucks for you. but i do own katrina. i know you all want her but there's nothing i can do.  


Chapter Two

  
  
    "But Uncle! You promised!!"  
  
    Katrina fumbled along after her uncle, who was steadily ignoring her. She nearly tripped for the fourth time that day over the clothes Barbossa had given her two years earlier, when she had been nine. Although they hung from her like a dead man would from a noose, she never complained. They did signify, after all, her change from being just a normal girl into being a pirate.  
  
    A pirate she was becoming all too slowly.  
  
    "Un-cle-Bar-bos-sa!"  
  
    "I heard ye the first time girl!" he shouted suddenly. "And all the bloody times after that! And if I do recall, I said I'd take ye shootin' later."  
  
    Katrina pouted. "But you said you'd take me now. . . ."  
  
    "Then for the love of God I lied!"  
  
    With that, the stomped off quicker than ever, leaving Katrina on the deck with a scowel on her face. "Stupid blighter," she muttered with slight contempt, and took to leaning over the side of her Uncle's ship.  
  
    The Medallion, if Katrina remembered correctly, had been a gift to her uncle and her father from their father, and when Christian had denied it, Barbossa took it without a second thought. He put it to good use, as Katrina could easily see. For five years he had been sailing with it to numerous port towns all around the Caribbean, looting them for everything they had. With him he took a group of his most trusted confidantes, occasionally picking up one or two stragglers along the way. Katrina smiled as she thought of the newest additions to the crew, Eye-Patch and Straggles as she called them, Ragetti and Pintel as they were to everyone else. A ridiculous duo of idiots, always seeming to get themselves into trouble. Though Katrina still referred to him as Eye-Patch, Ragetti had indeed found himself a fake eye, popping it in and out every now and again so as to clean it. At first, everyone besides Pintel had found this utterly annoying, but had grown disturbingly used to it. Everyone, that is, except for Barbossa.  
  
    "If you do that one more time around me, I'll have your bloody arse for shark bait!" he had threatened Ragetti once, who had shuddered in fear and swore never to do it again. The promise didn't last long, however, for within a few days he had regained himself and started popping out his eye once more, though he went warily about it whenever Barbossa was around.  
  
    Then of course there was Murdock, who Katrina had discovered was Barbossa's first mate. He had been the only man aboard The Medallion to welcome Katrina with ease, despite his first words to her five years ago. Katrina, in turn, began to look at him as a faithful watch dog, the one who would stand up for and protect her when the master wasn't around. Out of all of the crew, Murdock was probably the closest to her heart, next to her uncle.  
  
    And then there were those who Katrina thought of as less than family. One of them was Jacoby, a menacing little man with beady eyes the size of a shilling and green, rotting teeth that were pointed and sharp, and the other was Bo'sun, a tall and daunting African who was bald and had small, golden studs embedded beneath his skin. She guessed that he was about her uncle's age, perhaps slightly younger, with cold, heartless eyes and an even colder glare. Every time she saw him, he would always look at her the same way: a perverted disgust. Katrina would try to return his look, but would never get very far. It was too sickening even for her.  
  
    "Hey! Katrina!"  
  
    Reality flooded back to her in a rush, and she turned to see who had called her name.  
  
    It was Ragetti. "Murdock's almost done with dinner! Pintel's got us a cuppla seats; so hurry up then!"  
  
    Katrina smiled and dashed over to follow him down below deck. Only a few others were there, including Pintel, who motioned her and Ragetti over when he saw them. The rest of the crew came down not too long after that, and soon the room was bustling with activity. Katrina noticed Barbossa wasn't there.  
  
    At that moment, Murdock came bursting through the doors carrying tray upon tray of delicious food. The men clapped and cheered as it was set down on the table, and Katrina could feel her own stomach growl at the sight of it. Spirits were then passed around, and Barbossa came through the door.  
  
    "Eat well, men! We'll be dockin' at the next port in but a few hours!"  
  
    Another cheer went up. This time Katrina cheered with them. Another port meant another raid, and she had some things to get anyway. Well, to steal, that is.  
  
    She felt an elbow poke her left rib and turned her attention to the one who owned it, grabbing a leg of pork as she did. "So whatcha aimin' to get this time, Trina?" Pintel asked her, his mouth full of meat and drink.  
  
    "Actually I'm thinkin' to get meself some new bullets," she told him, ripping a portion of pork from the leg with her teeth. "These ones I got are bloody useless."  
  
    "Not that you've had the chance to use 'em, mind," her uncle's words came drifting from across the table.  
  
    Katrina narrowed her eyes. "And who's fault would that be then?" she snapped. By that point the other men had grown silent, occasionally passing a snide remark to one another. They loved to watch the miniature fights that went on between Barbossa and his troublesome little niece. And for them, the fight could go either way; if Barbossa lost, they'd snigger continuously behind his back until he threatened to gut the lot of them, and if Katrina lost, they would have hours of fun pushing the little tyke around about it, fully aware that there wasn't too much she could do.  
  
    This time, however, the fight didn't get a chance to go very far.  
  
    "Land! It's land!" Murdock's heavily accented voice was shouting. Many of the men were mouthing the word "what?" before Barbossa was able to shake them to their senses.  
  
    "Get up ye lazy swine! Make fast to the deck! Ready the guns!!"  
  
    The cabin was instantly bustling with men frantic to get to their positions. They pushed and pulled each other in a struggle to get up to the deck. Katrina was no acception. She sprung up from her sitting position, and before she left the table shoved a piece of hardening bread inside her pocket, just in case she wasn't able to eat later. Because of her petite size, she was able to slip through the bulks of her fellow crewmates with some ease. As a result, she was one of the first to get out on the deck, where Barbossa was already barking more orders.  
  
    Katrina could see the port town from here, seemingly completely unawares that it was about to be attacked. It was smaller than the usual towns they pillaged, and from where Katrina was standing looked shabby and poor. She doubted if there was going to be found anything worth keeping here.  
  
    "Katrina!" Barbossa yelled suddenly. "Quit bloody standin' there and get down to the guns, girl!"  
  
    She didn't have to be told twice to know where to go. Almost tripping over her excessively large clothes once more, she sped down below deck again, only this time going to where she knew Pintel and Ragetti would be. . .with the cannons.  
  
    "Oh, 'ello Trina!" Pintel exclaimed as he noticed her presence. "Got stuck with us today, 'ey? Hand me that ball there, would ye?"  
  
    Katrina picked up the heavy ball of lead he motioned to and handed it to him. She watched as he placed it in the cannon, and then moved aside to allow Ragetti to set the light. All three covered their ears just before the deafening blast. Katrina grabbed another ball.  
  
    "Hey, when do we get to go ashore. . . ."  
  
    Just as the words escaped her mouth, she saw from the open hatch five boats that were already docking at the harbor. Katrina gaped at them with fury. "What the. . .? Straggles! Why've they gone?!"  
  
    "Didn't ya know?" Ragetti answered instead. "Those on the guns don't usually go ashore. Someone hasta keep them blighters at the dock busy while the others do the work, 'ey?" He snickered at this and elbowed Pintel, who then snickered back. But Katrina couldn't find it within herself to laugh, or even to smile. She was **furious**. Barbossa. . .that. . .that. . . .  
  
    ". . .That BASTARD!!"  
  
    The word erupted from Katrina's mouth like fire, making both Pintel and Ragetti stop in their tracks.  
  
    "Wuss that?" Ragetti questioned, confusion edging his tone.  
  
    "BARBOSSA!" Katrina fumed. "HE DID THIS ON PURPOSE!"  
  
    Pintel snorted. "Well ye can't very well go 'gainst what the capt'n says, ye know. . . ."  
  
    "To the DEPTHS with what the captain says!!"  
  
    Katrina dropped the cannon ball she had been holding, nearly having it land on Pintel's foot, before storming out of the room and pounding upstairs to the deck. The only thought on her mind was to make her uncle _seriously_ regret tricking her into staying behind.  
  
    _I'll shoot two more holes in that bloody hat of his, and then perhaps add two holes in his_ head_! No. . .then I'll have no one to shoot with. . . ._  
  
    She ignored the taunting calls from the other crewmates as she made her way to the port side of The Medallion, bent on getting ashore.  
  
    "Hey Trina! Got left behind did ye?" "Poor baby Trina! Can't get her little bullets!"  
  
    "SHUTTUP!" she screeched finally, grabbing the rope that held one of the last boats. Now grumbling to herself how she'd like to kill the lot of them, she prepared to jump in the boat, when something caught her eye.  
  
    The men were returning.  
  
    _Already?_ she thought suspiciously. _Maybe there was nothing to find there after all._  
  
    She recognized the man in the first boat instantly; the hat was unmistakable. Though it did have one less feather than before and had a black patch across it to hide the hole, her uncle Barbossa still wore the bloody thing proudly. Katrina felt her fists clench at the site of him, swearing to herself to give him a piece of her mind as soon as he stepped on this ship of his. But sitting on his shoulder was something that definitely hadn't been there before. Katrina squinted at it, sure it was some sort of small furry animal, but unable to make out just what _kind_ of animal it was. It did seem, afterall, to be wearing clothes.  
  
    But that wasn't the only new addition. Katrina glimped past Barbossa's boat only to see another with a person she'd never seen before. It was a small girl, maybe the same age as she, maybe younger, from this distance Katrina couldn't tell. But she was there all the same. Despite herself, Katrina smiled. That girl. . .she was a _captive_, and Katrina had never had experience with a captive before! She had heard enough stories, about men walking the plank and being eaten by sharks before they could even start to swim away. Any anger that she had held for Barbossa before that moment was instantly swept away in fascination of this new arrival, and Katrina continued to watch the boat with the girl in it until she had to crane her neck over the side to be able to see. At this point, the girl looked up. Their eyes locked for a split second, and in that time Katrina was startled by the blue brilliance of the eyes she was looking into, before she snapped her head around and ran to the other side of the ship.  
  
    Upon reaching the starboard side, Katrina almost ran head first into her uncle. He said nothing, but grasped her roughly by the shoulder and drew her to his side.  
  
    "Ow!" she exclaimed, more to aggravate him than for the actual pain he had caused.  
  
    "Be silenced," he spat with a subtle anger in his voice. Katrina could tell he was just as annoyed with her as she was with him. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms before noticing once again the little animal on Barbossa's shoulder. Her jaw dropped as she realized what it was.  
  
    "You have a _monkey_..?!  
  
    "I said be silenced!"  
  
    Katrina glared at her uncle, tempted by the thought of disobeying him. She in the end thought it would be best not to, and if her thoughts had been read, the monkey in clothes screeched in a sort of mocking laughter. She already didn't like the blasted thing.  
  
    "Captain Barbossa!"  
  
    It was Bo'sun. He had the girl Katrina had seen earlier by the shoulder, and seemed to be digging the back of his thumb into her neck. Katrina didn't have to know who this girl was to feel sorry for her.  
  
    "The last of the Blackhearts, sir."  
  
    Blackheart? Katrina had never heard the name before. But apparently, as she soon found out, Barbossa had.  
  
    "A Blackheart? Nay, don't ye see her eyes! Blackhearts be dark all over." Katrina didn't know if Blackhearts were really dark all over, but she did know that this girls eyes most definitely were not dark. They were a bright blue, one might even say a Caribbean blue, that at the moment Katrina could see were sparkling with fear.  
  
    "Aye, Captain. But she be branded!" Bo'sun roughly took up the gir'ls arm and pulled down the sleeve, showing to the rest of the crew the white scar of a P that rested on the girl's wrist. Katrina's eyes widened at the sight of it. She resisted the urge to look down at her own wrist, bare and white. She had longed for a brand of her own for some time now, but Barbossa had said she hadn't done anything worthy of gaining it.  
  
    "Ye've been a pirate for two years!" he had told her. "Can ye tell me what ye've done that makes ye think ye deserve a brand?"  
  
    Katrina hadn't been able to answer, and the memory stung her mind like a freshly open wound. And then there was this girl. Younger than her, Katrina was sure, and with a brand. What had she done that Katrina hadn't?  
  
    Barbossa observed the raised arm carefully. "Too many maidens on board," he said after a pause. "Don't need another one. Take her below!"  
  
    Katrina scowled as the girl was snatched up by Bo'sun and taken down probably to the brig. She turned to Barbossa, who now had his back to her. "Are we killin' her then?"  
  
    He didn't turn around. "Course. Why would we need more of yer kind?"  
  
    Katrina sighed and rolled her eyes. She had expected an answer like that. Instead of arguing back, she decided to go visit the girl down at the brig. She wanted to know how she had gotten that brand. It must've been something pretty incredible if she had gotten it so young, and Katrina wanted to know everything.  
  
    Following the footsteps of Bo'sun, she made her way down below deck. When she arrived at the brig, she came across Bo'sun just finishing locking her up in one of the dank cells. When he saw Katrina, he let out a low growl from the pit of his throat. "You have no business down here, girl."  
  
    "That's Miss Katrina, to you," she replied calmly. "And my business has nothin' to do with you. So why doncha go up top and find someone else to stare at, 'kay?"  
  
    Bo'sun curled his mouth in a snarl and did as Katrina said, though not for her benefit, and purposely knocked into her as he went past. Katrina's face scrunched in disgust, and with Bo'sun out of the way she continued to walk over to the cell with the girl inside. She peered inbetween the bars and stared at the small and fragile figure within. The girl had solid black hair, like Katrina's, except it was styled in soft ringlets that fell on her shoulders. She wasn't quite as scrawny as Katrina, and had far more delicate features. Katrina was a bonnie child, but this one was beautiful.  
  
    "Hi."  
  
    Katrina's simple word seemed to echo throughout the room. The girl looked up at her. "H-Hello."  
  
    "You shouldn't mind me uncle," Katrina said simply, starting to feel more comfortable already. "He's bloody mad." She held out her hand through the bars. "Name's Trina. _Ka_trina to you."  
  
    The girl took Katrina's hand gingerly, as if it might bite her. "E-Eclipse Blackheart. Nice to meet you, Miss Katrina."  
  
    "Miss?" Katrina glared at her. Why was she being so polite? It was weird.  
  
    Eclipse cocked her head to the side. "Pardon?"  
  
    "Would you quit that?"  
  
    "Quit what, Miss?"  
  
    "_That._" Katrina drew her hand back from the cell. "It's strange you bein' all polite, an' all. 'Specially when you're, well, you know." What Katrina wanted to say was "when you're about to die." But looking at the poor, pathetic thing before her, she couldn't find it in herself to do it.  
  
    "I suppose," said Eclipse quietly. "Um, Mi- I mean, Katrina? You said not to mind your uncle, but. . ."  
  
    "Yeah, me uncle," Katrina confirmed. "You know. The big, scary hat-man with the monkey."  
  
    Eclipse's eyes met Katrina's with a childish surprise. "The captain?"  
  
    Katrina sighed and rolled her eyes. "Or you could put it that way, yeah."  
  
    "I see. . . ." Eclipse lowered her eyes again. "He's. . .condemning me to death, isn't he?"  
  
    Katrina shifted in place. She hadn't liked the way Eclipse put it. "I wouldn't exactly say. . .condemning."  
  
    "Then what would you say?"  
  
    Nothing. Katrina decided to change the subject. "So, um, have you ever kissed a boy?" She could feel Eclipse's questioning gaze on her. "No. . .I haven't."  
  
    "I have," Katrina lied, fingering her pocket and the contents therein. "It was gross." She pulled out the piece of bread that she had placed in her pocket earlier (and had up until now forgotten about) and handed it out to Eclipse. "Bread?"  
  
    Eclipse hesitated, and then took the bread from Katrina's hand. She began to knaw on it slowly, her mind obviously elsewhere. At that point, Barbossa, followed by Murdock and Bo'sun came down the stairs. Katrina jumped back away from the cell and clasped her hands behind her back, acting as if though she had done something wrong.  
  
    Barbossa stopped a few feet in front of her. "Bo'sun, open the cell," he ordered. "It's time."  
  
    Bo'sun sniggered as he pushed Katrina aside and used the keys on his belt to unlock the cell. He dragged Eclipse from her position on the floor to a standing one, and roughly held her arm as he moved her forward.  
  
    "Uncle wait!" Katrina protested suddenly, and ran over to tug on the hem of Barbossa's sleeve. "Let her stay!"  
  
    "Why the blazes should I do that?" Barbossa exclaimed. "What good is she to us?" He yanked the sleeve away from Katrina's grasp and motioned to Bo'sun, who forced Eclipse forward. But Katrina wasn't finished.  
  
    "She can be my shooting partner!" she cried, and much to her satisfaction Barbossa stopped in his tracks. "See? Then I won't 'afta do it with you anymore!"  
  
    Barbossa sighed and turned to face her. "If ye think I want another one of **you** runnin' around, ye've got another thing comin', lass. Especially if that's the **only** reason she'd stay. . . ."  
  
    "But I'm sure she can do other things!" Katrina continued. She looked desperately at Eclipse, who she just realized would probably turn out to be the only real friend she could have. "Can't you?" Eclipse opened her mouth to reply, but no sound came out. Katrina repeated her question more frantically. "Can't you?!"  
  
    "I-I-I can c-clean!" came Eclipse's stuttered reply.  
  
    Barbossa rolled his eyes. "We have plenty of men for that! Now that's enou--"  
  
    "I-I can cook too!!"  
  
    A smile instantly appeared on Katrina's face when Barbossa hesitated at this. "See, Uncle? I'm sure she could help Murdock in the kitchen. Murdock could use some help in there," she looked at the huge man with pleading eyes, "couldn't ya, Murdock?"  
  
    Murdock smiled softly at her. Katrina knew he was on her side. "Well, I 'spose I could use an extra hand, mate. It's hard work cookin' by meself."  
  
    After that was said, Barbossa knew he was defeated. ". . .Fine! Fine, she can stay! But mark my words, girl," he said lowly, looking at Eclipse dead in the eyes. "If I see even the slightest change of ye becomin' like that miss there," he pointed to Katrina, "it'll be the depths for you! Understand?"  
  
    Eclipse gulped. "A-Aye, Sir."  
  
    With another sigh, Barbossa motioned to Bo'sun to release Eclipse, which he did so with some reluctance. Barbossa glared at Katrina vehemently. "You'd best not be a bad influence, girl. For her sake."  
  
    Undaunted by his words, Katrina only smiled proudly as the two men made their way back up to the dock. Before he followed them, Murdock gave a wink and a nod to Katrina and Eclipse. After a moment of uneasy silence, Katrina sighed happily and clapped her hands together, spinning on one foot to face Eclipse.  
  
    "Well, Miss Blackheart!" she said with mock politeness. "Welcome aboard The Medallion!" The smile that graced her features was broad, and full of triumph.  
  


* * *

  
A/N: well, there's chapter two. i'm really sorry if it doesn't seem as good as the other two chapters....i was kinda rushing through it cause i wanted to get it up. but oh well, sucks for me. you'll be happy to know that i've already started chapter three...and i'm actually pretty much almost done with it. be prepared though...it's a LONG chapter. you think these are long..HA! wait till you see this baby. i would split it up into smaller segments, except it just wouldn't work that way. ya know? oh well. in the next chapter, half the crew of the medallion (haha, don't you love the cheesy irony of the name?) get CAUGHT! and what's this? a death? oh no! so until next time folks....(and i don't really know when next time'll be either. i mean, i start school in two days!! AAAAH!)  
    -Meru  
  



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